


Odd One Out

by In_a_Mossy_Grove



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cuddles, Don't sleep in your binders kids!!!, Fantasy AU, Gladio is tired, Hurt/Comfort, Ignis is tired of being the adult in the room, M/M, Mostly Promptis and Gladnis, Multi, No editing we die like gays, Noctis struggles to keep track of his three boyfriends, Prompto has a fever and is not handling it well, Prompto has ~anxiety~, Self-Doubt, Sick Fic, Trans Gladiolus Amicitia, blanket nest, relationship doubts, royal au, unsafe binding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:55:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26257486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_a_Mossy_Grove/pseuds/In_a_Mossy_Grove
Summary: Prompto has been thinking too hard about where he stands with his partners. He struggles to grin and bear it while suffering from a fever, but sickness gets the better of him on their way to a secluded villa. Confronted by the others, and in a position where he doesn't need to save face, Prompto has to come clean about what he's been feeling.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 5
Kudos: 91





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Barely even on chapter three of this game and my brain DEMANDED I write some fic for it so. Here we go. Prompto's feelings heavily inspired by the motel scene that breaks my heart every time! 
> 
> May or may not be a part two since Iggy and Gladio got sidelined... Opps.

_ Why was he here? _

Prompto had been asking himself that question over and over the past few days. Of course, there was the logical reason: He was one of Prince Noctis’ retainers and leaving his side was a criminal offense. 

It was the other things that made him question. 

What part of him was good enough to be seen so lovingly by people so much more talented? There was no reason for Ignis to take the time to learn Prompto’s favorite foods or to seek out a book he had mentioned once from his childhood. There was no reason for Gladiolus to continue training him, hunting for a weapon that sparked the talent he insisted Prompto had. There was no reason for Noctis-  _ Prince _ Noctis- to laugh so hard at the terrible jokes that slipped past his lips unbidden. 

He felt like he contributed nothing. Ignis could cook and knew some strategy for any situation, Gladiolus was an expert survivalist, and even Prince Noctis had interests and skills beyond royal business. 

Prompto had nothing like that. 

In some way they seemed to enjoy having him around, seemed to  _ love _ him, but that couldn’t be right. They had to be pretending. They all possessed so many talents, it wasn’t out of the question that lying was one of them. 

“Prompto.” Gladiolus snapped his fingers in front of the blonds face, pulling him back to reality. “Fall asleep on your feet?” 

“What?” Prompto blinked quickly. He hadn’t even realized he was in the training grounds. When did that happen? “I’m here.” There was a sword in his hand and a shield strapped to his other arm. Somehow he had forgotten waking up, getting dressed, and being pulled down to the training room to try new weapons. 

Gladiolus gives him a searching look. “You don’t look so great, are you sure you slept alright?” He reaches out and puts a hand on Prompto’s shoulder. “We can do this later if you want.” The contact nearly burns, something stirring in the pit of his stomach. 

Prompto shakes his head. “I’m good! Let’s do this.” He raises the shield and forces a smile onto his face. “I have a good feeling about this one.” If Gladiolus notices it’s fake, he doesn’t say anything. Instead he just crosses the small yard and picks up his wooden spear. 

Training only lasts about an hour. After knocking the smaller man on his ass about ten times, Gladiolus calls it. “That’s enough.” He stabs the spear into the ground and approaches to help Prompto to his feet. “It’s clear shields aren’t your thing. You’re even clumsier today than usual.” 

Prompto frowns. “It’s heavy.” His excuse is weak, but he doesn’t have any more insight than that. He feels weak and dizzy, his thoughts swirling around in his head lazily. 

Pulling a notebook from his pocket, Gladiolus crosses something out with a piece of charcoal. “We’ll try something else tomorrow. Maybe daggers, like Ignis.” Seeing how many pages Gladiolus had to flip through in order to cross off shields was like a knife in the stomach. Just another reminder of all the things he was terrible at. 

Prompto wipes the sweat from his face and takes a few deep breaths, hoping the dizziness will fade. He tugs at the tight collar of his armor, trying to ignore the way the ground seemed to lurch ever so slightly. 

The door swung open and with it carried the sound of Ignis trying to reason with Prince Noctis. “Your Highness, your father is just trying to do his best for you.” 

The prince stalked into view, his hands thrown up by his head. “I’m not so sure about that!” He seemed more agitated than usual, the emotions showing freely on his face instead of hiding behind a well crafted mask of dignity. Noctis kept walking until he collided with Prompto, slinging his arms around his retainers waist and dropping his head onto his shoulder. 

Ignis bit back a sigh and adjusted his glasses. “King Regis is stuck in a difficult position with the empire. He is trying to keep you safe.” 

Gladiolus exchanged a glance with Prompto over the top of Noctis’ head. “What’s going on?” 

“The Empire is sending a diplomatic envoy to discuss the terms of a peace treaty. King Regis has ordered us to take the Prince to the winter villa in case insurgents should try anything.” 

“That’s probably a safe bet, right?” Prompto asked, for once glad that Noctis was holding onto him. He wasn’t sure he could stand on his own for long without a second body holding him up. 

“Indeed.” Ignis said, pointedly, in the way that only he could get away with. 

“How is leaving my father here to possibly die a safe bet?” Noctis stood and stepped away, tugging his jacket back into place. “I should be here to help him if something goes wrong!” 

“Your father has his own retainers.” Gladiolus steps forward and puts a hand on the prince’s shoulder. “He’ll be fine.” 

Noctis still seemed agitated, but relented to the hand on his shoulder. He let out a sigh that seemed to drain the energy from his whole body. “You’re right. I suppose we should go pack our things.” 

Gladiolus cracks a smile and gives him a slight shove. “Don’t look so glum. Just the four of us in a secluded villa, all alone. Doesn’t seem so bad does it?” The comment causes Noctis to blush so profusely that the red spreads beneath the collar of his coat. 

Prompto would have laughed, but he wasn’t sure he had enough oxygen to do so. At first he had been startled by how easily they all spoke of their relationship but he had gotten used to it overtime. No one seemed to care that the Crown Prince openly declared his romantic involvement with three men and one woman at the same time.

“Prompto.” Ignis was looking at him. “Are you coming?” 

“Huh?” The others had already disappeared through the door, leaving him standing blankly in the center of the training room. He shook himself. “Yeah, sorry.” Ignis didn’t push the issue, but Prompto felt his piercing gaze on his back all the way back to the Prince’s room. 

Noctis had been insistent that the three of them move from their quarters to his. There was enough room for the four men to live comfortably and the prince enjoyed having them all within arms reach. 

Once back in the lavish room, Prompto shuts himself in the bathroom. He splashes his face with cold water from a tub in the corner, still trying to cure the dizziness that clung to him. It didn’t help, but he was going to pretend it did. 

He just dumped everything from his storage chest into the bag Gladiolus thrust into his hands, clothes and notebooks falling haphazardly around him. He kicked the last few books into the sack and cinched it closed, sitting down heavily on the now mostly empty chest. There was little he could do except try to focus on his breathing and watch the other three pack more meticulously. 

There were ebbs of gentle conversation, but he wasn’t really listening to them. It wasn’t his conversation to join. A wave of nausea and anxiety hit him suddenly. Was he actually supposed to be going with them? Should he ask? They probably didn’t want him tagging along on their retreat to the villa. 

Forcing his mind from the idea, he yanks on the ends of the bracelet on his wrist. If they do end up being insulted by his presence he can hide away in a guest room. 

Prince Noctis approached him and held out a hand, helping Prompto to his feet. “Ready?” 

“Yeah.” Prompto accepted the hand and stood, swinging his bag up onto his shoulder. Noctis absently kissed his knuckles and pulled him towards the door. The idea of being on a horse for hours made Prompto’s stomach twist even more, but he forces it down as they near the stables.

The ride was pretty much a blur for him, although the entire day was beginning to shape up that way. Prompto stayed behind Ignis the entire time, just letting the horse move on it’s own. 

_ What was wrong with him?  _

_ Why was he here?  _

_ Why is everything… spinning?  _

_ \-- _

Prompto woke up in a bed. One that wasn’t his. Nor did he remember climbing into one. In fact, there was a lot that he couldn’t remember. He could faintly smell dust as he blinked the tired film from his eyes. The room he was in was dimly lit with a few torches that illuminated the curtained bed frame. 

The back of his head ached and he groaned, lifting a hand to his face. There's a cold cloth on his forehead and he peels it off as he sits up. 

“You’re awake!” The voice startles him and he swings out. Thankfully he’s still disoriented and Noctis, who was sitting beside him, easily catches his hand before it can hit him in the face. 

With the prince’s help, Prompto sits back against the headboard. “What happened?” 

“You passed out on the way here.” Noctis pulls the cloth from the blonds hand and presses it back where it was. “You were running a really high fever. I thought Ignis was going to have a heart attack when you fell.” 

“I was not.” Ignis’ voice interrupts their conversation, the tall man striding into the room with a tray. Gladiolus followed him in, shutting the door behind them. Striding up to the bed, Ignis set the tray on the side table. 

“You had us worried.” He adjusts his glasses and picks the bowl up, holding it out. “Drink this.” 

Prompto knew better than to argue and accepted the bowl. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious and he took a tentative sip. The three of them watched him closely, a sensation that made his skin prickle. 

“You didn’t need to make me food.” He mumbled, absently chewing on the lip of the wooden bowl. 

Ignis adjusts his glasses. “It’s my job, and I care about you.” 

“Why?” He looks at each of them. Ignis on one side, Noctis on the other, Gladiolus at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed. “I don’t… deserve it.” His eyes burn and he tries to blink back the tears. 

“What gave you  _ that _ idea?” Gladiolus’s brows were furrowed low over his eyes. The cutting tone of his words rattles what little self control Prompto has left. 

“I’m not like you guys.” He chokes out. “I'm not strong, or good with people, or even good with any weapon. I can’t cook to save my life and war strategy makes no sense to me. Compared to the rest of you, I’m just a worthless tag-along.” Crying only makes his dizziness and headache leagues worse. The pain makes him want to scream, and he raises a hand to bite down on the leather straps on his wrist as if that will smother the feeling. 

Noctis grabs his hand and pulls it to his chest. “Hey. You’re not worthless.” The prince moves closer, wrapping his arms around the blonds shoulders. Prompto hates how willingly he collapses into the man's embrace, burying his face in the crook of his neck. The bed shifts on either side, one of Gladiolus’ hands running through his hair while Ignis perches on the side. 

“Why are you measuring yourself by skills?” Ignis says softly. “You’re so much more than your skill with a blade or how you weave words. We love you for who you are, now what you can do.” 

_ Love? How could they?  _

Prompto wipes his eyes. “But I’m-” 

“Perfect.” Noctis interrupts him, pulling back and running his thumbs along the swollen skin under Prompto’s eyes. “Nothing you say can change my mind on that fact. You’re one of the brightest parts of my life.” 

He can’t respond in any capacity, struggling to breath between the sobs that seized in his chest. Noctis pulled him in closer, curling around him. He’s not sure for how long he cries, until he realizes that he’s gone quiet and is staring at the ceiling. The aches in his chest and head are still persistent, but the feeling of his cheek pressed to Noctis’ chest grounds him. 

Gladiolus runs his hand along Prompto’s side. “Feeling better?” 

“A bit.” Prompto mumbles against the prince’s shirt. Noctis releases him enough that he can sit back up, slowly. 

“How long have you been holding all that in?” Ignis asks, passing him the bowl of now lukewarm soup. Prompto doesn’t feel like eating, but he knows Ignis will only mother hen him more if he doesn’t. 

Filling his mouth with soup also gives him an excuse to not answer the question. 

In truth, it’s been a very long time. These thoughts had latched their claws in, subconsciously gnawing at him until he was almost unaware of how much he hated himself. It was never anything they did, part of him knew that, but the louder, angrier part twisted it into lies. 

It wasn’t until the fever broke him down that it ever came out. 

Prompto looks away from Ignis’s stern look and busies himself with finishing the soup. There were a few exchanged glances that he pretended not to notice, reaching around Gladiolus to set the bowl back on the side table. 

“Well.” He clears his throat. “Uh. I’m fine now. So.”

Gladiolus presses the back of a hand to Prompto’s forehead and gives a short laugh. “No, you’re not. Lie back down.” It’s not a suggestion but an order, one that Prompto agrees with once the man stands and crosses his arms. Even on a good day, he was no match for Gladiolus, and knew from personal experience that the man had no qualms about restraining him to the bed if necessary. 

“Fine.” He frowns. “But you all need to go do something else. You can’t just hover over me.” 

Ignis sighs heavily and adjusts his glasses. “Just don’t push yourself. You need to rest.” 

“I will, I will.” He wasn’t planning on running away. Making shooing motions with his hands, Prompto rolls his eyes. “Go on.” 

Gladiolus leans down and kisses the top of his head. “Don’t worry, I can keep Ignis distracted.” He turns back to the man in question, a satisfied smirk on his face. 

Noctis shakes his head, dark hair falling into his face. “Gladiolus you shouldn’t be quite so happy about this.” He chides, standing up. “Prompto, I’m going to get you another cold cloth for your head.” 

“Sure.” Prompto desperately wanted them all to leave, his skin itching from the attention. Gladiolus grabbed Ignis by the tie and dragged him out of the room after Noctis. Just as the door closed, he could hear someone get pinned to the wall and the sound of the prince laughing.

Once the door was closed and Gladiolus had taken Ignis into a far room, Prompto rubbed his eyes. His face felt puffy and gross, and with a groan he managed to roll himself over to the edge of the bed. Noctis was going to be coming back, but Prompto desperately needed to wash his face. 

Using tables and the wall to limp his way towards the bathroom, Prompto tries to ignore the way the room seems to spin around him. The tiled room is cold and he resists the urge to lie down and press his feverish face against the floor. Instead, he limps over to the basin of water and scrutinizes his reflection in the mirror above it. 

There’s a persistent redness beneath the layer of freckles across his face. His eyes are red and puffy, and he’s started to break out from the amount of sweat coming off of him. Prompto wipes his nose with his sleeve and then peels his overshirt off, tossing it into the corner. 

Splashing his face with water, he scrubs his hands across his skin. It feels good to rub his eyes and feel the thin layer of grime come off under his fingers. 

The door in the other room opens and he hears a sound of dismay followed by, “Prompto?!” 

“In here.” He calls, lowering his hands. Noctis hurriedly opens the door, his relief palpable when he sees the blond there. 

“You scared me.” Then he frowns. “Why did you get up.” 

Prompto bites back on an annoyed sigh, fumbling for a towel. “I needed to wash my face.” He dried his face off and ran it up to his hair, trying to push the blond strands off his face. Noctis lingers behind him, his mouth twisted into a miserable line. 

“What?” Prompto asks, holding the prince’s eyes in the mirror.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize how you felt.” Noctis reaches out and brushes his fingers against Prompto’s side, not quite committing to touch. “I shouldn’t have let you slip under the radar.” 

“Nobody’s perfect.” Leaning on the edge of the basin, he stares into the water. It feels wrong to accept such words from a prince, but he doesn’t want to chide the man for his guilt, knowing that it wouldn’t help either of them to pretend everything was fine. 

“I still need to do better.” The touch on Prompto’s back becomes firmer. “When you’re feeling better can we talk more?” 

“Yeah.” Prompto bites his lip, digging his fingers into the basin. “I’ll...try.” He turns to face the prince and reaches out. Maybe it’s a moment of weakness but he just wants to be held for a while. Noctis quickly closes the distance and wraps him in an embrace. Prompto breaths him in, hands resting on the man’s hips. If anyone asks, he could always use the excuse of being sick to explain his need for affection. 

That seemed better than admitting that he craved physical contact. 

Noctis leaned back and cradled his face. “Can I kiss you?” 

“I don’t want you to get sick.” It pains Prompto to say, especially given how gently Noctis is looking at him. 

“It’s just a fever.” The prince brushes his fingers along Prompto’s forehead, brushing his hair back in the process. “But if you’re uncomfortable…” His words are muffled as Prompto slides his arms around his shoulders and kisses him. Noctis’ lips are warm and he tightens his grip, moving to get rid of any space between them. The prince responds in kind. 

The basin nearly falls as Noctis pushes him back in his enthusiasm and Prompto lets out an undignified squak. Noctis quickly grabs his waist and steadies him, both of them struggling not to laugh. 

“Okay, maybe we should get you back to bed.” Noctis fights back his smile. Prompto wrinkles his nose, still holding tight to the prince's arms. He was tired, and still felt pretty gross, but he really enjoyed kissing Noctis. 

“I’m going to need help walking back.” He admits. “Still kinda dizzy.” 

“Should I carry you?” 

“Your scrawny ass?” Prompto shook his head as the two made their way out of the bathroom. “You wouldn’t be able too.” 

“Ouch.” Noctis pretends to be offended as he helps the blond back into bed. He sits on the edge and watches Prompto settle in under the covers. “Comfortable.” 

“Very.” Prompto adjusts so he’s not lying on the injured back of his head and forces a smile. “You don’t need to worry.” 

“It’s much too late for that.” Noctis snorts. “Good luck getting any of us to not smother you for the next few days.” He plucks at a loose thread in the comforter, his expression distant. 

“You don’t need to leave, you know.” Prompto comments, closing his eyes. “Although maybe you should make sure Gladiolus hasn’t broken another bed.” 

“I haven’t heard Ignis yet so they’re probably going to be preoccupied for a while longer.” The covers shift and he feels Noctis slide in next to him. He lets out a content hum as the prince curls around him, pressing a kiss to his shoulders. Sleep pulls at him, the feeling of Noctis’ arms around him comforting.

“Prompto?” Noctis mumbles as Prompto begins to doze off. “I love you.” 

Prompto tries to respond, but it comes out as a lot of grumbled gibberish. He’s too far into the pull of sleep to return the sentiment, but by the way Noctis kisses the crook of his neck, he understands. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an attempt to salvage their trip to the winter villa and set aside time for his boyfriends, Gladiolus moves some furniture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two is here, because Gladiolus and Ignis deserve their POV time.

Ignis is in the kitchen hours before anyone else wakes up. Normally he wouldn’t have to take such drastic measures, but the cleaning staff had let the room fall into disarray since their last visit. Washing dishes isn’t his favorite chore, but it’s just mind numbing enough that he can ponder the day before. 

He had a lot of new information to file away. There's a twinge of guilt gnawing at his chest that Ignis is unfamiliar with. Most days with his partners he felt like the only adult in the room. He was the one who made sure they all ate properly. He was the one who kept them on task, who read all the royal reports. He was the one who put his foot down on ridiculous ideas. 

He was  _ supposed  _ to be the one who kept tabs on them all, and while he knew he afforded Gladio more attention than the other two, the idea that he had let Prompto get so much past him made him feel…

Well, awful. 

“What did the bowl ever do to you?” 

The voice makes Ignis jump and he turns just in time to see Prompto jumping up to sit on the counter. He looks nearly back to normal, save for some persistent redness around his eyes. 

Ignis sets the bowl and cloth aside and approaches him, reaching out to press the back of a hand to his forehead. Prompto leaned into him, wrapping his legs around the back of the older man’s calves to trap him. 

“Well. It seems like your fever is mostly gone.” Ignis releases his face and rests his hands on either side of him. “How are you feeling otherwise?” It’s easier to open the conversation for Prompto to talk about his emotions than to outright ask. 

Prompto shrugged, plucking at the buttons of Ignis’ shirt. “Better… and weird. I don’t know how I feel about having shared so much.” 

Ignis adjusted his glasses. “I’m rather glad you told us. I do regret that it took so much to pull from you, however.” 

Rolling his eyes, Prompto curled his fingers around Ignis’ shirt collar and pulled him in closer. “You sound like Noct.” It was a gentle kiss, Prompto’s lips still holding a bit of heat from his fever. 

Initiating a kiss is already a change, a positive one that Ignis files away for later while he leans into the embrace. Before it had taken great deals of patience and coaxing to get Prompto to tell them what he wanted. The time spent was worth it, even when Gladiolus clearly wanted to wrestle it out of him. Even more impressive was the fact that he had initiated with Ignis. 

The two were in love, but rarely ended up spending time alone. In the brief moments they did have, it was usually Ignis kissing his cheek or running his fingers through the blonds soft hair. He had never been as comfortable with grand gestures like Gladiolus was. Both Gladiolus and Noctis openly bared their affection in loud, blinding actions. Prompto’s affection was quiet, but just as passionate. Ignis found it hard to put his feelings into words like they did, relying instead on the hope that they would just believe he loves them. 

And he had a reputation to uphold. The three men couldn’t know just how soft they made him. 

Prompto released him, a sly grin on his face. “I guess I should let you start breakfast.” 

Ignis took a moment to resettle in the moment. “I suppose. We know that Noctis will complain should he wake to find there’s no food.” 

That earned him a laugh. “Typical Prince.” 

After a short time Ignis managed to scrounge together enough ingredients for some omelets and scones. Not the most balanced breakfast, but it would do for now. Prompto rambles about one thing or another while Ignis begins to cook, the sound of his voice providing good background noise. 

As he’s chopping vegetables, Ignis suddenly feels the presence of someone trying to sneak up on him. He adjusts his grip on the knife and pivots, leveling the blade at Gladiolus’ throat. The man had a hand back, clearly aiming for it to connect with Ignis’ ass. 

Gladiolus smiled. “Hi.” 

“Don’t. You. Dare.” Ignis growled. 

“Still sore, Specs?” The smugness rolled off of him as he pushed the knife aside. 

Ignis wasn’t going to answer that question. He nudged the man away and turned back to chopping vegetables. 

Prompto was unsuccessfully hiding a laugh behind his hand. “Well. I should go wake up his highness. Six knows how long it will take.” He slid off the counter and patted Gladiolus on the chest. “Don’t get stabbed, Big Guy.” 

“No promises.” Gladiolus waits until he leaves, eyeing Ignis’ stiff back. “Need any help?” 

The reply is sharp. “I’m quite alright.” 

Gladiolus isn’t quite sure what he’s done to warrant such a cold response. Last time he had checked, Ignis had seemed quite content with the evening they spent together but between now and then something had changed. He picks at the ties of his binder through his shirt, wondering if he should wait until Ignis had put the knife down before broaching the question. 

It turns out he doesn’t need to wait, as Ignis slams the knife down and turns. “Gladiolus you need to take better care of yourself. We can’t have two people here injuring themselves.” 

He frowns, desperately running through his past actions. “Ignis, I’m… At a loss here.” 

Ignis adjusts his glasses and sighs so hard he nearly hisses. “You fell asleep in your binder. And from the bruising on your sides it’s  _ not the first time. _ ” 

Gladiolus does a quick reassessment of the morning. He remembered coming too and grabbing his binder off the floor, but if Ignis said he had fallen asleep in it then there was a gap there. The logical answer was that Ignis somehow managed to roll him over and wrestle it off which was… impressive considering the size difference and the strenuous activities of the evening. 

As to his second point, he’s not entirely wrong. Gladiolus doesn’t do it on purpose. Despite what his boyfriends might think, he wasn’t a constant font of strength and energy. Most nights he fell into bed without changing his uniform, so entirely drained from the day's events. Last night had been no exception. 

“I’m sorry.” Ignis said, snapping Gladiolus from his thoughts. “I don’t mean to be so hard about a personal topic-” 

“Don’t apologize.” He cut the man off, running a hand across his own chest. The flatness beneath his fingers was comforting. “It’s not the first time, but it’s not intentional.” 

“Imagine my surprise to find that two of my partners have been sick or injured in some way.” There’s still a definite twing of annoyance between his words, but his shoulders lose their stiffness as he sags. “I am just concerned.” 

“I get it.” Putting a hand on Ignis’ shoulder, Gladiolus gives a squeeze. “It’s weird. I thought coming here would be our first chance in a while to be alone, just the four of us, but so far it’s been a mess.” 

“Indeed.” Ignis rests his hand on top of Gladiolus’. “It seems our relationship was not as sturdy as we had thought.” He lets out a deep breath, the remaining tension draining from his form. 

Gladiolus feels a twinge of guilt as Ignis turns away from him to continue cooking. The four of them were often so busy back at the castle that they were able to get away with things like that. When was the last time he had spent time with Noctis or Prompto beyond training? Or even Ignis, any spared moments between the two of them were almost always spent in bed. 

Moving to the table in the corner, Gladiolus took a seat and began to plan. There was a limited number of things for them all to do together, this being the winter villa and it being spring. He was left with few options, but he wasn’t going to let that deter him from sitting his boyfriends down and spending some  _ damn _ quality time together. 

By the time breakfast was served and Prompto had dragged a still half-asleep Noctis into the room, Gladiolus had an idea. 

Between shoveling food into his mouth, he lay down a few requests. “I have a plan, a secret plan. You all need to stay in here while I put it together.” 

Noctis frowns at him from behind a curtain of black hair. “What kind of plan?” 

“A secret one.” He repeated. No one else seemed to object, and once he had cleaned his plate Gladiolus got to his feet. He dumped his plate in the sink and jogged out of the room wanting to hurry his plan along. 

Firstly, he needed to change. If his plan went well, which he had a feeling it would, he was going to be spending a lot of time lying down and relaxing. Waking up to a knife in the side because he didn’t take his binder off  _ again,  _ was not his idea of a fun time. Once free from his binder and dressed in an outfit that didn’t make his skin crawl, Gladiolus went to work removing the mattress from the bed in the guest room. 

It wasn’t hard for him to lift, but being one man versus a king sized bed meant he struggled to get it out the door and into the hallway. Wrestling it into the parlor was a different challenge all together, but he eventually got it inside and wedged into the corner. Then he went back for all the bedding, plus some from the other rooms, and created a sort of nest. 

The parlor was a small enough room that they could nestle between the fireplace and the wall of books with enough space that the bed wouldn’t catch on fire. He debated starting a fire, but considering how one of his boyfriends was still recovering from a fever, Gladiolus decided to leave it to a vote. 

The finishing touches came together quickly as he grabbed a few books and set them on a nearby table. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough. 

Now all it needed was his boyfriends. 

Gladiolus returned to the kitchen to find it much like he left it. “Alright. My plan is complete, you can come in now.” 

“What were you even  _ doing?”  _ Prompto asked, leaping to his feet to follow. “We could hear a lot of scraping and clattering happening.” 

“You’ll see.” 

He led them to the parlor and opened the door with a grand flourish. At a second glance, it was a pretty measly surprise, just a mattress on the floor with some books. 

What made it worth it was the look of utter excitement on Noctis and Prompto’s faces. 

The prince threw himself down on the pile of pillows and blankets, arms outstretched. “Oh I’m going right back to sleep. Goodnight.” 

“No way!” Prompto joined him, elbowing the dark haired man aside. “Don’t squander Gladiolus’ hard work!” 

Ignis joined the man in question in the door, the corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile. “A day of idleness? Trying to turn this back into a vacation, are you?” 

Gladiolus looped an arm around his shoulders and tugged him in. “Admit it, you’re looking forward to just being able to relax and read.” 

Ignis gave a considering hum. “You may be right.” He brushed a hand along the man’s back and then looked up at him. “You changed?” 

“Yeah.” Gladiolus shrugged. “If I’m going to be lying around all day I can get away without binding.” 

“Hey!” Noctis’ voice interrupts them. “If you two aren’t in this nest in the next two seconds, you’re fired.” They had no choice but to follow his order, Gladiolus resisting the urge to throw himself down  _ on _ the prince. Instead he steps over them to lean back against the wall, pulling Ignis into his lap. 

“Is there anything else to your plan?” Noctis asked, readjusting so he was nestled between Gladiolus’s leg and Prompto. “Or can I go back to sleep?” 

“My plan was relaxation.” Gladiolus shrugged again. “The rest is up to you.”

“No sleeping yet.” Prompto dug his long fingers into Noctis’ sides. “You just woke up.” 

“I’m the price, I can do what I want.” Noctis challenged, swatting the blonds hands away. 

The look in Prompto’s eyes became downright devilish. “Oh? Are you sure about that?” He came at Noctis again, aiming for the places he knew the man was ticklish in. Noctis thrashed, trying to escape from his boyfriend's grip. 

Gladiolus curled around Ignis, laughing as Noctis tried, and failed, to get away. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you!” 

“I feel so safe.” Ignis drawls, adjusting his askew glasses. “I was so worried that his highness might hit me with one of his weak arms.” 

“Hey!” Noctis had managed to snag both of Prompto’s hands but turned his attention to Ignis at the slight. “I’m not weak!” 

“Just going to let him get away with that?” Prompto grinned. “I think we should team up.” 

“No.” Ignis leveled a glare at them. “Don’t you dare.” His words were ignored as both Prompto and Noctis lunged for him, throwing themselves on Gladiolus to do so. They four of them ended up in a tangled heap among the blankets. 

“Release me!” Ignis managed to squirm free, although he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. It took a minute for them all to get resituated, Gladiolus lying in the middle with Ignis and Noctis on either side of him. Prompto curled around Noctis’, his thumb curled around one of Gladiolus’ belt loops. 

Noctis leaned over and grabbed Ignis’ arm, his thumb running in soothing circles. “Can you read to us?” 

“I don’t see why not.” Ignis managed to reach over and snag a book off the table before settling back against Gladiolus. It was a book of fables, it’s spine and pages showing the years of love it clearly received. He turns to a random page and begins to read, letting his accent flow through his words just a bit more. Noctis’ eyes drifted closed almost immediately, Prompto following close behind despite an effort to stay awake. 

He read a few more fables before closing the book, nearly asleep himself from the comforting feeling of Gladiolus running his hands along his sides. Ignis set the book aside and leaned back, looking up at him. 

Gladiolus returned the gaze, cracking a smile. “What?” 

“Thank you.” 

“For?” 

“This.” Ignis wove their fingers together. “A chance for us to spend time like this together. It feels like it’s been ages.” 

“I felt the same.” Gladiolus admitted. “That’s why I wanted to do something. We all needed to come back together.” He almost winced at how cliche his words are, but the feeling of Ignis laughing quietly pulls him away. 

“You’re quite right.” Ignis reached up with his free hand and ran his fingers along Gladiolus’ jaw. “You’re also putting me to sleep.” 

Leaning forward, Gladiolus pressed his lips to Ignis’ neck, mumbling against the skin. “Good. You need the rest.” 

“Hardly.” 

“Come on, Ignis.” He shifted, pulling Ignis into a more comfortable position. “You need to take care of yourself for once.” 

“You cannot throw that stone, Amicitia.” Ignis sighed.

“There’s a difference between being an idiot and neglecting your own health,  _ Scientia.”  _ Gladiolus shot back. “You overwork yourself taking care of us. Now it’s your turn to let me take care of you,” 

Ignis yawned and removed his glasses, placing them and the book on the table before he curled closer to his boyfriends. “I suppose you’re right, in this case.” 

“I’m right in all cases.” 

“Hah.” 

Gladiolus smiled and leaned back against the pillows. “Let me have this one.” 


End file.
